Time Dims the Memory
by sizi
Summary: A mysterious piece of an unsolved puzzle, a New Kid on the Block, some rather twisted love triangles, the ever going "itch", a few family feuds,and some...interesting fashion statements.It should be an interesting year, don't you think?
1. Spellbound

Spellbound~ Chapter 1:  
  
"Attention!" Dumbledore said. His voice echoed through the Great Hall. His silvery gray beard shimmered in the candlelight, and his eyes sparkled with what could only be magic.  
  
Harry loved it. He loved dinner. He loved the way the food appeared on the plates with the wave of a hand. He loved the way that all of Hogwarts gathered together to eat. But most of all he loved Dumbledore. Not to say, that he love, loved Dumbledore, but he loved Dumbledore's presence and the safe, comforting feeling his voice gave him.  
  
Dumbledore's voice swept the room once more, " I am pleased, to introduce, a new student!" All eyes (if not yet on Dumbledore) shot to the head table. Standing between Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore stood the new student. "This", Professor McGonagall said in her crooked voice, which often comes with old age, "is Eden Ebony". The room filled with whispers. "She is from Africa, her father has been hired by the Ministry of Magic to do some.er.work", McGonagall continued, " I hope all of you will make her feel at home".  
  
All eyes focused on the African foreigner. Contrary to the connotation that her name gives, she had porcelain skin. Her eyes were a piercing blue and her blonde hair was full of bouncy curls that rested on her shoulders. She wore robes, but robes that no one was accustomed to. The cloak was of a cranberry red, and seemed to be of a diaphanous texture. It had embroidered flowers and vines on parts of the material. And underneath the cloak was a flowing summer dress of sorts, that was of white linen. She had an undeniable beauty. She was almost as beautiful as Fleur de la Cour. Needless to say, the Hogwarts students were entranced by her presence. She was so different from anything they had ever seen; her beauty was so omnipotent: it was almost scary.  
  
Her spell was soon broken by the echoing voice of Dumbledore, "Let us feast!" He said, and the plates and goblets filled with abundant food and sweet pumpkin juice. Fortunately for Malfoy, the incident that had occurred earlier that day had been altogether forgotten, and the hall buzzed with talk of the mysterious Eden Ebony. That is, everyone but Harry had forgot it. Harry's mind was still swimming with thoughts about his hex on Malfoy. As he put his napkin in his lap he noticed tea stains on his robes.  
  
"Bloody hell!" He muttered to himself.  
  
"Harry! Can you believe that Ebony girl?" Ron said between sips of pumpkin juice. "Wow, is she fit!"  
  
"Er-fit right", Harry said distractedly as he tried to get the tea stain out with his wand. I light flashed out of a wand and across the table eliminating the stain from Harry's shirt.  
  
"There!" Hermione said.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"You really need to learn some basic house cleaning spells Harry. Especially with you being so clumsy and all."  
  
"Thanks a lot, Hermione." Ron and Hermione stifled their giggles as Harry shot them glances with the message "shut-up-it's-not-funny", but Harry couldn't contain himself and he chuckled at Hermione's crack.  
  
"So, what do you think of this new student?" Hermione said. Ron's jaw dropped and he raised his right eyebrow. All three of them cracked up.  
  
"Like you have a chance with her, Ron! You got sick just thinking about asking Elizabeth out." Harry said.  
  
"Ronny, I am your girlfriend, you know. It's a bit rude talking about fit girls in front of me don't you think?" Elizabeth said. She was a cute girl. She had a mess of a curly brown hair that didn't grow in one particular direction. She had become Hermione's closest friend (outside of Harry and Ron of course), and was just as studious as Hermione. Professor Sprout was her grandmother. And she had the same round face and figure as the herbology teacher. She was perfect for Ron in every way, and the two of them were generally inseparable.  
  
" O right, Liz!" Ron joked. He turned to the girl sitting beside him and gave her a squeeze. "Where were you this afternoon love?"  
  
" Well, I promised grandmother that I'd have afternoon tea with her."  
  
" You missed some great fun, Liz. Harry really tricked up Malfoy this time!" Ron was filled with the excitement that he had had earlier that day. " He put this hex on Draco that...O why don't you tell her what you did Harry!" Harry shook his head and Ron continued, " Well, you see, it was lunch and everybody was in here having a jolly old time, and then Malfoy gets up the nerve to come over here and make fun of Hermione and tell her she's a filthy mudblood", Hermione winced and Liz gasped, "Oops, sorry Hermione, I didn't mean anything, I was just-"  
  
" I know. It's fine Ron. Go on." Hermione interrupted.  
  
" So, Harry gets real mad at Malfoy and puts this hex on him that flips him upside down. The whole of the Hall saw his underwear and his knee-high stockings. They had bloody embroidered broomsticks on them, Liz!" Ron seemed to get a real kick out of this. He let out a loud laugh and sprayed Hermione with his pumpkin juice. "Sorry, Hermione", he said as he wiped his mouth, "Can you imagine? Seventh year and embroidered underwear? I'd die!" Liz let out a contagious giggle, and the table began to shake with laughter.  
  
Harry's mind driften and he began to think about this year, being his last at Hogwarts. The last year of adventures, of Potions, of tests and homework, of living at the one place he ever called home. But this was also the first year at Hogwarts that Ron and he both had girlfriends. He had Ginny, and Ron had Liz. But never had Hermione had a boyfriend. Or at least a boyfriend that went to Hogwarts. There was that whole Viktor Krum thing, but that had ended last year. He began to feel sorry for Hermione. He looked up from his plate to her and saw a tall, lean boy behind her.  
  
"O, hi there love!" Hermione said to the boy.  
  
"Where were you this afternoon, Hermione? I thought we were going to the library together?" He said.  
  
"O I'm sorry darling, my friends and I had tea with Hagrid today. I'm awful sorry." Hermione giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek. She wasn't acting herself. She was being. well flirty, and it made Harry and Ron sick to their stomachs. Liz just smiled at Hermione and stifled a giggle.  
  
"Hermione", she said, "would you like to introduce us to your.er.friend?"  
  
"O, of course! Liz, Ron, Harry", she said as she pointed to each of them, "this is my boyfriend, Avery." Hermione beamed as she looked up at Avery. He was tall and well built. He had a head of curly brown hair and wore black-rimmed glasses.  
  
"And how did you two meet?" Liz pried.  
  
"Liz, shouldn't you be at the Hufflepuff table?" Hermione said through gritted teeth. Hermione quickly put on a smile and turned her head so she was looking up at Avery. "O, Avery's Head Boy. I met him at the meeting with Dumbledore at the beginning of the year. Being Head Girl and all, we spend lots of time together!"  
  
"I think I'm going to get sick!" Ron muttered under his breath. The two of them burst into laughter, as Hermione's cheeks flushed a vibrant red. I guess I have no reason to feel sorry for her after all Harry thought to himself.  
  
"Harry!!" someone shouted across the hall. It was Ginny. She came running towards him. Right alongside her was the African beauty Eden Ebony, "Harry, you'll never guess what happened! This is Eden Ebony, Eden this is Harry Potter." Eden clapped her hand over her mouth.  
  
"You are Harry Potter?" She said in perfect English, with just the slightest touch of a foreign accent (much to their surprise), "but the, the", Harry lifted his mess of hair to reveal the lightening bolt scar. He was used to having people react this way, it was an automatic response. "It's so nice to meet you, in South Africa you are idolized. Your name is most sacred. I am honored."  
  
"Likewise", Harry said. Ginny sat in his lap. The crowd in the Hall had diminished. A Victoria sponge cake was sitting on their plates. None of them had noticed until now, when Ginny grabbed Harry's and took a nibble.  
  
"Sorry, love", Ginny said, " I've been in the library all day, big Potions test tomorrow you know, I'm absolutely famished. Anyway, Dumbledore has put me in charge of helping Eden get used to Hogwarts. You know, taking her to her classes, stuff like that. She's really wonderful. Aren't her clothes beautiful?" Eden blushed. "Well, I thought it quite exciting, and I wanted to introduce you to her first! She's a Gryffindor too just like us!" Avery flinched, he was a Ravenclaw. Ginny immediately realized this, "I'm sorry, don't believe we've met I'm Ginny Weasley."  
  
"Avery, nice to meet you."  
  
"Well, Eden and I must go. We're going to get her all settled into the Girls Dormitory. Good night everybody!"  
  
"Good night", they all chimed.  
  
"Good night", echoed Eden. Ron was spellbound once more. His mouth was open, and he had a glazed look on his face. Liz kicked him under the table, and Eden giggled. "Good night, red headed boy." Eden said to Ron. He tried to say good night back but could only manage a weak smile.  
  
"Good night, darling", Ginny said to Harry and she gave him a squeeze good- bye as she jumped off his lap, and then grabbed Eden's hand leading her out of the Great Hall doors.  
  
Now, the Great Hall was completely empty except for the five of them. "Well I suppose we better go too", Hermione said, "I still have to study for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I'm convinced that there will be a pop quiz tomorrow!" And with that she and Avery darted out of the Hall. It was just Harry, Ron, and Liz now, and Harry figured that they'd like to be left alone, so he said his good nights and headed up to the Common Room, it had been a long day, tomorrow was Monday, and he had Potions first thing in the morning.  
  
He crept his way up to his room, as the clock struck ten. He still hadn't studied for his Potions quiz the next day, so he went up to his room got his books and went back down to the commons room to study by the fire. He hoped that Ron would get back soon so they could study together. He began to go over his notes: ½ cup of frog livers ¼ tsp. of mustard seed ¾ tbs. of newt eyes he read. But it was hard to keep his eyes open. The heat from the fire felt nice, and Eden Ebony's summer dress, and fresh bouncy hair kept coming to mind.  
  
The clock struck midnight as Ron crept through the portrait hole. Harry was fast asleep, and they both were thinking of Eden Ebony's white linen summer dress. 


	2. The Perfect Day

The Perfect Day ~ Chapter 2  
  
The sunlight streamed in through the window in the commons room. Harry stirred in his seat by the fireplace. He had dreamed of South Africa and Eden Ebony. But now, Harry had the all too familiar pain in his head. His scar was burning. He got up and walked to the mirror hanging above the fireplace. His jet-black hair was messy as ever. He was still in his clothes from the night before and his glasses, by the looks of it, had broken again. He must have rolled over on them in his sleep. "Occulus Reparo!" He said, pointing his wand at his glasses. He looked at the big grandfather clock in the corner it read five thirty. Harry ran upstairs and changed his clothes. He got all his books together, and wand in hand he left the commons room.  
  
Potions was Harry's least favorite class, taught by his least favorite teacher, and shared with his least favorite classmates. And the fact that he had it first thing in the morning just made it all the more worse. Professor Snape was the slimiest, most greasy, and infinitely conceited teacher he had ever had. He hated Snape with a passion, as did Ron.  
  
"This, is your Potions quiz! The very first one of the second semester!" Snape said as he slapped the papers on their desks. " I hope that all of you sufficiently prepared for this quiz as some of you", he stopped and looked directly at Harry and Ron, "need a good mark! BEGIN!" Harry flipped the quiz over and stared blankly at the page:  
  
Give the ingredients for the simplest sleeping draft:  
  
Describe the precautions needed to take when dealing with catfish whiskers  
  
_______ cups of newt eyes are needed for the Majandra Potion.  
  
Harry had no clue where to begin all around him people were scribbling answers, even Neville and Ron had some idea of what to do. How could Ron know the answers he kept asking himself? He NEVER studies. Of course, Ron was cheating off of Hermione. Why hadn't Harry thought of that! C'mon Harry, you were studying this last night! You must remember some of it. He kept saying to himself. He looked at the clock. Five minutes left of class. He HAD to finish it. Snape was right he needed a good mark. He scribbled down the first thing that came to mind. And finished just as Snape reached his cold hand out to snatch the paper. "Looks...detailed, Potter." Snape said with a cackle. Harry managed a weak smile. His scar was burning again. What a perfect way to start the day, he thought.  
  


* * *

  
"That was a God awful quiz!" Harry said to Ron after they had  
left Potions.  
  
"It wasn't that bad, Harry."  
  
"It wasn't that bad? And how would you know considering you were  
cheating off of Hermione to get the answers!"  
  
"Well, this time it wasn't that hard to cheat." Ron said with a  
smile on his face. That was Ron alright, Harry thought. Just then,  
someone jumped up onto Ron's back, and he fell cursing to the ground.  
  
"Bloody hell, what do you...", Ron said. His eyebrows raised and  
his hand shot down to his robe pocket. He felt around a bit and  
brought out his wand. His body relaxed and he smiled as he looked at  
his intact wand. Memories of a previous accident, from second year,  
were still lingering. That time, Ron had broken his wand, and he had  
to go through the year with a broken wand, that couldn't properly  
perform any spells. His family couldn't afford to buy him a THIRD  
wand, and with this thought in mind Ron gave a sigh of relief.  
  
"Hello, there love!" Liz said. "Good morn! How was Potions?" Ron  
gave her a look of complete disgust, as he picked himself up off the  
ground. "Sorry, about knocking you down like that." She giggled.  
  
"Anything for you Liz." He said as he grabbed her hand.  
  
"Get a room you two!" Harry remarked.  
  
"O, will you shut up Harry? It's not like you haven't got a  
girlfriend. Speaking of the little devil here she comes now." Ginny  
Weasley was making her way through the crowded corridors. Her fire red  
Weasley hair bounced up and down as she walked. She was wearing a hand  
made hairband and scarf, clearly made by her mother. Her face was  
covered in freckles, and her robes were so big they swept the ground.  
She revealed large white teeth as she gave a huge smile when she saw  
Harry, and ran to him to give him a good morning hug.  
  
"Hello, Harry darling." She said to him as they embraced. "Liz,  
Ron", she said as an afterthought. "I've got so much to do. No time to  
stay and chat. But I'll see you at lunch?"  
  
"Of course." Harry said with a smile. Ginny put her hair back  
behind her ears, smiled and ran off down the corridor. "O WAIT,  
GINNY!" He yelled after her. But she was to far down the hall for her  
to hear him. He had wanted to ask her about Eden, but he'd just have  
to wait until lunch.  
  
"Ready Ro— ", Harry started to say but he and Liz had already left. He was standing alone in the middle of the hallway, when he heard something crash to the ground. His eyes darted around and caught a glimpse of a small white ghost coming towards him. "PEEVES!" He yelled at the ghost.  
  
" You rang?" It replied.  
  
" What did you do?"  
  
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about!" And the ghost fluttered down the hall, in a fit of laughter. Harry ran around the corner to assess the damage and found a trophy case lying on the ground: shards of glass and trophies everywhere.  
  
A particular thing caught his eye. It was a piece of glass, but different from any piece he had ever seen before. It was still completely intact, with the exception of a small crack that went diagonally across it. Harry held the glass in his hands. It didn't feel at all like glass, rather like leather, smooth yet rough at the same time. It felt as if it had those same cracks that leather has in it, as if the glass was old and worn, stretched even. The glass was peculiarly shaped with rounded edges the jutted out from a central piece, such that would belong to a puzzle. That's awfully strange. Harry thought to himself. He knew there was something valuable about it, so he stuffed it in his bag and went on his way.  
  
By that time of course, he was extremely late to his next class: Defense Against the Dark Arts, his favorite class. And, to make matters worse, his scar was burning again. Harry raced through the castle, he knew for sure he'd get a detention out of this. He wouldn't have minded under any other circumstances, but his mind was overflowing with ideas about that strange piece of glass, and he wanted some time to himself to look it over.  
  
He pushed through the door to the classroom and found himself the target of twenty wands. His face was flushed and his eyes bulged. He knew he was late to class but was this really necessary. A detention was preferable to being the experiment of the class.  
  
"There you are, Harry. We were wondering what had happened to you." A  
man pushed his way from the back of the crowd towards Harry. He was  
shorter than Harry, with dreadlock hair and an unusual sense of style.  
His hair, besides being a mess of dreadlocks and tangles was at least  
four different shades of blue. And his robes were a tye-dye of colors  
that swirled with life, all of which seemed to compete to be the most  
vibrant one. He wore glasses, far different from Harry's, that changed  
colors and shapes randomly, and seemed to cling to his face. This was  
Professor Murdoch. He was Scottish and spoke with a heavy accent, that  
is, when he did speak. He was Harry's favorite teacher. "So Harry, is  
there an explanation for your lateness?"  
  
"Er- could you .....er....." Harry pointed to the wands directed at him.  
  
"O, of course, sorry for that. Everyone wands down. Alright then, out  
with it!" Professor Murdoch prompted.  
  
"Well you see sir, I was on my way here when I heard a crash in the  
hallway. When I went to see what it was, it turned out that Peeves had  
knocked over the trophy case." Professor Murdoch raised his eyebrows,  
examining Harry's face, and questioning his story.  
  
"Understandable." He nodded, Harry gave a sigh of relief. "You will  
serve detention for your tardiness, but understandable situation  
nevertheless. Please, join the class." He winked at Harry and smiled.  
"Wands at the ready class!" Harry moved out of the way. He got what he  
deserved, but he knew serving detention with Murdoch wouldn't be that  
bad. He reached to get his wand and saw Malfoy standing next to him.  
  
"Don't think I didn't see that wink, Potter. If there's any sort of  
nepotism between you two...O Father will hear about this. I can see it  
in the Daily Prophet now: 'Scarhead and Murdoch: Long lost cousins!  
Harry Potter, has been reunited with a distant cousin. Considering his  
lack of wizard family, this is no doubt a joyous occasion for him!'  
Poor little Scarhead, left with no mummy or daddy!" Malfoy said as he  
pouted. He rubbed his eyes as if he were crying.  
  
"O, shut up Malfoy! I'm trying to pay attention. Maybe you should try  
it sometime?"  
  
"Teachers pet Potter, is it now?"  
  
"Is there something you two would like to share with the class?"  
Murdoch pointed to them both.  
  
"No!No! Nooo! Uh uh!" They said together.  
  
"Alright then, please join the class at your seats." The two were the  
only ones left standing. Everyone else was at their seats reading.  
  
"Scarhead!" Malfoy hissed.  
  
"Fat ass!" Harry whispered. Malfoy shot him a glance one that said  
something like: "You will pay, Potter." But Harry didn't care, he just  
wanted to enjoy the one class he loved: Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
He planned on being an Auror. His O.W.L.S. had been high enough, why shouldn't he? I mean he – But his thoughts were interrupted by Murdoch's voice: " Homework everybody! Listen up! I want a three page paper on the advantages and disadvantages of the Patronus, for our next class. Today's lesson is over, you may all leave for lunch. Thank you." Everyone's books closed. And people began to file out of the classroom. The Patronus was a shield one could use to protect themselves against evil. Harry had learned it in third year, when the dementors frequently visited Hogwarts. He was quite skilled at it now. This assignment would be easy.  
  
"Harry! You were really late to class! I wish I had heard that crash.  
Wouldn't have minded getting out of class." Ron said to him as they  
left class.  
  
"Yea, sure." Harry said, still thinking about the Patronus. "I found  
this – " But Harry stopped himself he didn't know if he should tell  
Ron quite yet about the piece of glass he had found earlier that day.  
"I mean to say, I'm famished! We best get to lunch."  
  
"Yea, alright then." Ron said.  
  
It was rainy outside now. The overcast skies made the halls darker than usual. It was just barely noon, but it didn't feel so. Harry's day, hadn't been what you would call scintillating. He woke up with broken glasses and his scar burning, had failed his Potions quiz, he had a run in with Peeves, he was late to Defense the Dark Arts, he got a detention, Malfoy had been bothering him all during class, and to top it all off his scar was still bothering him. It had been an awful day! And if he told Ron about his scar hurting, Ron would just suggest he go to the nurse.  
  
"Hello, Harry Potter. How are you?" A sing-song voice awakened Harry  
from his thoughts. Her beautiful blonde hair spilled over her  
shoulders and her deep blues eyes brightened her face. She seemed to  
glow, with what, Harry didn't know.  
  
"I'm doing just fine." Harry said. "Just fine."  
  
"Yes, it's a perfect day today. Is it not?"  
  
"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Harry said, with a smile. 


	3. The Bookmark

Hello, there! Thanks for reviewing; I really appreciated your input!  
I've decided to experiment so this is a bit of twist, different from  
what I normally do. You may hate it, and if you do: PLEASE TELL ME!  
You may love it, and if you do: PLEASE TELL ME! OK, enough of  
that...enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer:  
So my friend met the Weasley twins, Neville, and Seamus over spring  
break. Got a hug, her pictures taken, talked for an hour or so while  
waiting in line. And this friend, well I hugged her when she got back.  
So really, don't I in a sense, OWN, these characters?? Yea,  
unfortunately NO I DO NOT! But, as wise friend of mine once said: Life  
goes on, and so does my imagination.  
  
The Bookmark  
  
The breeze blew the shocking colors of their hair (or what they had of  
it) as they lie on their backs in the sun. The blanket was as soft as  
the skin on their bodies, and the leaves on the trees danced with the  
wind. Laughter was bouncing off every blade of grass, every tree  
trunk, and every blossom. A woman's voice soft and light and a man's  
voice deep and neverending seemed to compliment each other's  
perfectly, like the perfect fit in a jigsaw puzzle. Another woman's  
voice filled the air, this time with a hint of an accent and the air  
of royalty, coupled with a man's voice soothing, yet penetrating.  
These were voices of the past.  
  
His eyes were blurry and he couldn't quite make out the faces that  
belonged to these voices. But he knew who they were instinctively. He  
could feel his parent's presence. But he did not know who the other  
couple was. From a distance, it seemed as though it were Eden, and  
some poorly dressed man. He did not know, but what he did know was how  
explicitly happy he had been then. He had only been a baby, and a  
young one at that, but he remembered somehow the feel of the breeze,  
sun, and his parents. He remembered lying next to another baby dressed  
in a light colored dress on a hot summer day. His mind was crowded  
with memories, some of which he didn't know existed. They rushed  
through his veins, he inhaled them when he breathed, and they poured  
through his ears in a mad flow of sounds.  
  
He sat up straight as a board in his bed. Beads of sweat ran down his  
body. This was remarkably unusual, never before had he had a dream  
like this, much less dreamed. Usually, he was too busy fooling around  
with some girl or some homework, same difference. He got up out of his  
four-post bed and looked in the mirror in his dorm room. His face was  
paler than usual, wet with sweat. He took off his shirt and wiped his  
face, shaking his head as if to remove the vision. Why? Why? He kept  
asking himself. Why such a random dream?  
  
He climbed back in bed, and grabbed his favorite Quidditch book. He  
would fall back to sleep in no time. He opened to the page marked by  
his house spirited bookmark, and began to read. The words on the page  
pierced his eyes, but had no meaning. His mind was drifting off to  
another world, and soon his head lulled with fatigue. His eyes closed,  
and his mind raced with dreams once more.  
  
It wasn't until the brilliant white shine and dark forest green  
shimmer of his bookmark caught the light that he awoke. It was a  
Saturday, thank the Lord, and by the looks of it his newly bought,  
Diagon Alley, state of the art, designed by Mr. Tick Tock Clock  
himself, clock told him it was already 10:30. He couldn't quite  
believe the dream he had had.  
  
"Draco, darling", a high pitched voice whispered in his ear, "time to  
wake up. If you recall, we had a date for today...strawberries and  
chocolate in your room? Ring a bell?"  
  
Damn't. He thought to himself. Not Pansy again. I need someone new and  
exciting; this strawberry thing is getting old, really old. I can only  
bear to fuck this girl a few more times. I'm getting bored here. His  
mind began to drift to that Eden Ebony girl. She had looked...well come  
to think of it there wasn't really a word for that type of a girl...  
just that Draco knew he wanted her more anything, much more than the  
slut that he was making out with. 


	4. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Chapter 4 ~ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds  
  
Disclaimer: You know the deal, JK Rowling created these characters,  
not me. Sorry for not writing for a while, school's been terribly  
difficult these past few weeks (a.k.a seven million papers due.) OK,  
now onto the chapter. I think it's my favorite so far. O, and also  
thanks so much for reviewing! Let me know what you think!  
  
SLAM! The door to Hermione's dorm room closed with a noise as loud as  
thunder.  
  
"You OK?", Ginny asked, startled by Hermione's rather loud entrance.  
  
"O, I'm fine! Just perfect! Delightful even! OK, maybe just fine. No,  
OK? I had an awful day! Possibly the worst day of my life. How did you  
ever guess?", she said in despair.  
  
"Well, I me—" but Ginny was cut off my Hermione's quivering voice.  
  
"Avery.... He , he, he's just such a... a, a BASTARD!", Ginny's jaw  
dropped. Never. Ever. Not once had she heard Hermione cuss. Rather  
Hermione was always the one that preached to everyone to wash out  
their foul mouths and put an end to cussing forevermore. But Hermione  
just kept on talking, "He just thinks it's alright to tramp around  
flirting with other girls, like CHO CHANG! I mean, since when did she  
become..." , Hermione stopped for a moment to find the appropriate word  
for her emotions. Her eyes lit up as she punched her fist in the air,  
"FIT!" But Cho had always attracted the guys, especially when she was  
held back a year on account of spending a year abroad in Taiwan with  
her family in what would have been her seventh year. Hermione  
immediately realized what she said and plopped down her bed with a  
thud. At this point, pearl shaped tears were rolling down her face. "  
I just, doesn't he like me? Doesn't anybody like me? I mean, does he  
think that just because some harpie, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,  
disorganized Divination phony preaches to us about experimentation,  
and peace, and love that I'm supposed to be OK, with my BOYFRIEND  
running around with another girl. I think not! And let me tell you  
something Ginny, we are over! I never want to see his beautifully  
chiseled chin again! Never, you hear me! And, I ..... I miss him....."  
Hermione was wailing now. And Ginny was totally flabbergasted. She'd  
never seen Hermione do anything like this before. Well, come to think  
of it Hermione had never really had a boyfriend before. But Ginny knew  
all too well that if Harry ever did anything like that to her, she'd  
be acting the same way, and furthermore, Hermione would be there for  
her every step of the way.  
  
* * *  
  
It was a Saturday, so Harry and Ron were practicing Quidditch as  
usual. They soared through the sky, the twigs of their broom made  
whistling sounds as trails behind them. It was a crisp autumn day, and  
his face was red from the wind. His tumbled across his forehead, messy  
and tossled by the wind. He loved it. This was by far his favorite way  
to spend his time. And when Ron was there, it just made it ever so  
more fun!  
  
His mind had been racing with thoughts of the date that he and Eden  
had for the next day. He had promised to take her and show her around  
Hogwart, even though he knew all too well that he and Ginny had a date  
at Honeydukes that very same day. But now that he was on his beloved  
broom, his mind was empty, clear of confusion, and his heart pounded  
with adrenaline.  
  
***  
  
"Hello, Harry Potter". Eden said in her fluttering voice. Harry  
blushed, and buried his now rouged face in his heavy Ralph Lauren  
sweater that Hermione had gotten him for Christmas last year.  
According to Hermione, "It was all the rage!" in the muggle world.  
  
"Shall we go then?' Harry said in a slight whisper.  
  
"Of course! I'm so very excited. I've heard so much about Hogsmeade!"  
Eden said with excitement. Except she didn't pronounce it correctly,  
rather she said Hogs-me-aid. Harry laughed at this, and Eden blushed  
realizing her mistake. Harry patted her on the back and started  
forward. What was I thinking! He thought to himself, but he kept on  
walking and she grabbed his hand to slow him down. She looked down and  
his hand in hers and smiled an enchanting smile. Harry's heart skipped  
a beat. He rubbed her hand with his. It was cold, and her puzzle  
shaped ring hurt his hand as it slid through his. But he didn't care.  
He didn't know why he was falling for her. He knew all too well that  
he already had a girlfriend, and that Ron would kill him if he ever  
hurt Ginny. He smiled and looked into Eden's dazzling eyes. Her blue  
pea coat matched her eyes and complimented her milky white skin. He  
leaned in, staring into her eyes. He felt something special, and  
different when he was around her. Their noses were inches apart.  
  
But out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of red hair, and  
he knew that feeling wouldn't last for long. 


	5. Rage of the Red Heads

Chapter 5 Rage of the Red Heads  
  
The dark shadows of the Slytherin common room made it impossible for  
Ginny to see anything. Professor McGonagall had forced her to tutor  
Draco Malfoy in Transfigurations. He was failing. **Big** surprise, Ginny  
had thought to herself. She was often referred to as the "Granger  
Protégé", and as a result, was at the top of her class. She may as  
well have been in her brother Ron's class, but the change had never  
been made official. Instead, she got stuck tutoring conceited,  
arrogant, pompous, rich, slimy, repulsive, and _rarely_ attractive  
seventh year students whose greatest talent was distinguishing between  
mudbloods and purebloods... Like THAT was something to be proud of?  
Ginny thought. Because, you know, that _always turns me on_. She  
continued. She snorted at this, an unfortunate and embarrassing  
trademark of the Weasley women (of which she could count on one hand,  
but that's a different story).  
  
"Something _funny_, Weasel?" Malfoy hissed at her, as a shock of greasy  
blonde hair fell out of his perfectly constructed masterpiece into his  
eyes. He rolled his eyes and reached in his robe pockets. He pulled  
out a jar of grease, literally, and artistically created his signature  
hair again.  
  
"No, not at all." She said, trying to contain herself, as a huge grin  
spread across her face at the sight of his vanity.  
  
"Didn't think so."  
  
"Er—alright then, why don't we begin with a review of the bas-" Ginny started.  
  
"Look-", Draco stopped searching for the right way to go about getting  
his way, "Ginny." He took a step towards her and flashed a half smile  
at her, revealing perfectly straight, brilliant white teeth. "We  
_really_ don't have to do this. I, personally, can think of a much  
better way to spend my time, rather than choking on air contaminated  
by a – what I mean is..."  
  
"Save your breath, Malfoy. Listen, I have NO desire to spend MY  
precious time teaching a dim wit like you how to do spells we learned  
in first year. It's not my fault you and Pansy what's-her-face spend  
the whole time choking on each other's forked tongues rather than  
paying attention. And I'm _sure_ that when you go whining to Daddy he  
would just LOVE to hear about how you spend your time outside of class  
_fucking_, rather than doing your homework. And I'd just LOVE to hear  
how that goes, but I really don't have the time to deal with screw  
ups", she gave a light laugh, "like _you_", she stuck her forefinger in his face, "So don't tell ME that YOU don't have to study, and that you didn't screw up, and don't make ME  
waste my time. You better make these sessions worth your while,  
because if you don't there's going to be _mayhem with the Malfoys_", she waved her hands frantically in the air," you mark my words! Just remember that the next time you think with another part of your anatomy, rather than your brain!" She smiled and tilted  
her head. Her face just as red as her hair. "Alright then, what do you  
say we begin?"  
  
Ginny's asthma began to kick in due to her, shall we say, difficulties  
with anger management, as red heads often do. She breathed heavily and  
her lungs tightened as she inhaled frozen air. In an attempt to get  
out of tutoring via flirting, Draco had come quite a bit closer to  
Ginny than he had thought. They were standing just inches apart. He  
became quite aware of this when he felt Ginny exhale warm air onto his  
cheek. He had never noticed the constellation of perfectly arranged  
freckles on the bridge of her nose. He had never noticed the wisps of  
red hair that fell down around her eyes. He had never noticed the rose  
lips whose thorns had, just moments ago, stung him with an awful  
amount of insults.  
  
What was he thinking? Was he falling for... he gulped...a, a, WEASLEY?

"I don't get you, Harry? How could do that, to my _sister_, no less?  
Did you think I would LET you break Ginny's heart? Did you think I'd  
support you running with that", his eyes went blank, a wistful look  
took over his face, "that, er, that, well, umm..." Ron's face flushed  
a bright pink. "Well, umm, I, I", his face brightened, "I would have  
FULLY resented you for having such an affair with such a gorgeous  
girl! And then, then my friend, I would have yelled at you for  
thinking with another part of your anatomy rather than your brain!" He  
smirked at this. Whenever Ginny got really mad at any of them (he and  
his brothers that is) she would blame it on that. He continued,  
"Honestly, Harry! I just don't understand how you can do that Ginny?  
She's liked you since the summer before second year. Now I must admit  
if thousands of girls, mostly very attractive girls, were attacking me  
with love letters and such, just because of a SCAR on my forehead",  
Ron said this through gritted teeth. Throughout their friendship he  
had never been jealous of Harry, with one exception: the girls. "Well,  
I would get caught up in the moment too. I mean, I suppose I'd have to  
be a gentleman and all and at least give them a sympathy date, maybe  
two if need be...if they were THAT desperate, you know."  
  
"Sorry for that." Harry interrupted, "It's just that, there's  
something about Eden that I've never felt before, not even with Cho!"  
  
Ron sat down on the windowsill, tucking his knees up close to his  
chest. He hit his head on the stone as he climbed in. "Ouch!" He  
rubbed his head with his hand. This HAD to be serious. Harry liked  
somebody MORE THAN CHO? He knew now that Harry had NO control over the  
situation, but still Ginny would hurt more than ever.  
  
"It's just her voice and those-"  
  
"I know, they're amazingly-"  
  
"Ron, I was talking about her eyes?"  
  
"O, yea, of course, right yea they're so...."  
  
"Blue?" Harry prompted.  
  
"Yea, yea, YEA, blue, that's it alright!"  
  
Harry laughed, and Ron covered his face with his hands.  
  
"Look, Harry, I know you really like Eden, but I don't know how  
Ginny's going to handle this, I mean..."  
  
"I know. I'll do it right, I know the perfect way to do it!"  
  
"Alright then. Just be careful, Harry. She's my kid sister."  
  
"No worries." Harry smiled. With Eden everything felt so right, it was  
like she was the missing piece to the puzzle. Now, if he could just  
think of a way to tell Ginny...


	6. Bitter Sweet

_Chapter 6 Bitter Sweet  
_  
The taste was bitter sweet, like that taste that you get in your mouth  
after you eat dark chocolate, that really amazing taste that makes you  
want more. That last bit, the "wanting more" bit, is the part that  
......well you 'will soon see and need no divination'.  
  
The smell was unbearable, more specifically, unbearably exhilarating.  
The smell of cool fresh mint filled the air mixed with the smell of  
caramel and honey. This combination produced an unusually remarkable  
scent, the kind that makes you tingle inside.  
  
The feeling was unforgettable, one that you couldn't compare to any  
other experience in your life. It was real, yet magical (well, this  
was Hogwarts, but anyway...) it was inspiring, invigorating, and yet  
depressing all at once.  
  
The sound was...silent. There wasn't any noise, any interruptions, and  
no unnecessary additions.  
  
The sight was, well, there's only one way to say it: ODD. It was  
totally out of the ordinary, something that wouldn't even exist in the  
imagination. It was a charade of sorts, maybe rather an oxy moron? Who  
knows, except it was terrifically complex and yet so simple.  
  
The best way to describe it? Bitter Sweet.  
  
Isn't that how you would describe a kiss shared by Draco Malfoy and  
Ginny Weasley?

.........................................................................................................................................

It was after midnight, but Harry couldn't sleep. Instead, he opened he  
opened his trunk and sifted through his most prized possessions. His  
sneakoscope that Ron had bought him for his 13th birthday, the mirror  
from Sirius, the family photo album, letters from Lupin, and a small  
package wrapped in brown paper.  
  
Harry didn't recognize this last thing, he carefully removed it and  
took of the string and paper in his hands laid the piece of glass that  
he had found just a month earlier. How soon time passes, and how  
quickly had he forgotten. Time dims the memory... It was still of that  
leather texture, in the same abnormal shape of a puzzle piece. Harry  
had been so sure that it had meant something, that it was important,  
and he had been so keen on solving the puzzle, I mean, mystery.  
  
What with Ginny and Eden and his school work, OK, so maybe more of the  
focus had been on girls, but nevertheless he had completely forgotten  
about. However, the same feeling that he had once had soon swept over  
him, and he became obsessed with discovering what was so important  
about this unique piece of glass. He held it up to the light, and saw  
his scar clear and perfectly outlined reflected in the puzzle piece.

.........................................................................................................................................

The dark green and silver bookmark lay on the floor next to the  
fireplace, the Slytherin snake staring up at the blank ceiling, and  
the tassels of the bookmark warm with the air of the fire. This Ginny  
soon discovered as she stepped barefoot on the bookmark and then the  
marble floors of Draco's personal suite.  
  
Now ordinarily, this would NEVER, I repeat, NEVER happen, but this is  
not the ordinary, rather the sub-ordinary. You know what I mean, that  
place somewhere between reality and imagination where you have a  
desire to do something and you do it, no matter what tacit rules may  
exist and no matter what your past or future consists of. No the "sub-  
ordinary" is a place that has no past or future, just a present, there  
are no rules, reason doesn't exist, thus passion reigns the body, or  
in this case, raging hormones do.  
  
And it is because of this world that Draco Malfoy was making out with  
a member of the family that his family despised the most, Ginny  
Weasley.  
  
One moment Ginny was yelling at Draco, disgusted by his utterly  
repulsive behavior, the next their lips touched; a kiss so timeless,  
so simple, yet so VERY complex; a kiss so sweet and satisfying and yet  
so bitter and disappointing. It was the perfect kiss, filled with  
longing and attraction and sorrow and adrenaline and hate and love,  
well you get the picture.  
  
This kiss left them both 'wanting more' and this wish resulted in  
_chaos_. 


	7. FRIENDS

**A/N: Finally I've come up with a decent Chapter 7....I hope you enjoy it! Please R&R, I will be forever grateful. **

**Disclaimer: **

_Some might call me pretty, but I'm definitely smart_

_I like theatre and music, really any kind of art_

_I love Harry Potter, and I'd like to pretend,_

_But I'm NOT J.K. Rowling in the end._

_**Chapter 7 FRIENDS**_  
  
The corridors of Hogwarts echoed with the carols of the fluttering ghosts, the professors were all in a rather cheerful mood, and Peeves was hanging mistle-toe throughout the castle. Their winter holiday began at the end of the week, and there was no one more excited than the seventh years.  
  
Yes, although it was only December the seventh year itch began to kick in, and in more than one way at that. As the winter holiday was fast approaching it became increasingly clear that the seventh years were beginning to lose interest in school altogether. Really the only thing they had left to do was take their N.E.W.T.S. "Why did they have to stay in school for a whole nine months if it really wasn't necessary?" , was the question many of them were asking themselves. As a result "the itch" began to spread like crazy amongst the students, causing a lack of motivation and energy that was put towards the completion of their work.  
  
In another sense, the seventh years were experiencing a different type of "itch". This itch involved the love fest that seemed to be the center of attention at Hogwarts. Love was in the air infecting all who inhaled the old yet fragrant scent of the school. It was like a drug, only you didn't have to snort or inject it, ok maybe you did, but it was a like drug in that it was addictive...terribly addictive. Since boys couldn't get into girls dormitories, girls went to boy's dormitories. Suppose that muggle saying "JUST SAY NO!" didn't seem to be cutting it. Yes, the "itch" had taken over.  
  
The winter air had seeped through the stone walls and filled the Great Hall with frozen air. At a corner table sat the most unlikely combination of seventh year students: Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Harry Potter, Ron Weaseley, and Draco Malfoy. Neville, Seamus, and Ron had managed to get the ideal seats, those on the opposite side of Draco, while Harry had arrived late to this convenient little get together and was forced to sit next to his nemesis.  
  
Draco was the first to speak up, as the others searched frantically about the room with their eyes for some point of focus other than Draco.  
  
"Now, I've invited you bunch of lion hearts here to umm", Draco stopped himself short. Come to think of it, he wasn't really sure what he had invited them here for. O yes, that's right, Ginny made him promise to get to know her friends better. How Ginny could have that power over him was beyond his egotistical self. Lately, Ginny seemed to have that affect on him, she made him want to do everything for her. He gave a faint smile and quickly realized that four pairs of eyes were staring intently at him, "O right, umm... Well gentlemen, I called for this little...pow wow, to umm, to well, to get to know you better!"  
  
All four jaws dropped. Had Draco Malfoy, the pure-blooded, cold hearted, self-obsessed, wannabe-broom-jock just walked his Death-Marked, live-or-die-for-my-hair self into their lives and expected them to welcome him with open arms????  
  
"I think NOT!" Ron yelled in his face.  
  
"The rage of the red heads continues I see", Draco muttered under his breath.  
  
"You think that after seven years of treating us like, like, your HOUSE ELF" Ron said triumphantly (Hermione would have been so proud), " that you can suddenly change everything with one little 'pow wow'", he ended tauntingly.  
  
"Yea, Malfoy, are you sure you're straight in the head? We're GRYFFINDORS, we're bad at Potions, we hate Snape." Neville added, surprisingly enough. He seemed to put emphasis on the latter. Harry however was speechless. He didn't know how to respond to Malfoy's extremely sudden change of heart.  
  
"I'm straight in the head alright, Longbottom. And yes, as a matter of fact, I think this friends thing is going to work quite well." The four of them were astonished. "Now, where shall we begin", his eyes flitted from one face to the next and landed on Seamus', "Finnigan, pray tell, what has your seemingly meaningless life added up to?"  
  
"Er—well umm, I, umm, I, I, I have girlfriend!" Seamus gulped. For some reason quite unknown to him, he felt that Draco really had changed. Yea, so maybe he was still making wise cracks at him, but it seemed to be in a more playful manner than a malevolent one.  
  
"Finnigan with a girlfriend? The idea! That's good one, mate, really is. Possibly the best one I've heard all year!"  
  
"No, I'm serious Malfoy. Padma Patil and I have been dating since the first Quidditch match of the year."  
  
"Well, CONGRATULATIONS FINNIGAN! Couldn't say I saw that one coming. Really, you know, I would never have guessed that girls would start falling for guys with umm... how shall I say this... SPELLOTAPE NEEDS!" 'Spellotape needs' was the phrase used to describe people in need of what muggles called plastic surgery. Quite to Draco's surprise everybody laughed at his crack.  
  
"Well, umm , I umm, I have a girlfriend too." Neville chimed in. He too was compelled to give way to Malfoy's change of heart, "Susan Bones...from Hufflepuff."  
  
"Is that so Longbottom, you running around with badgers now are you? Is she 'loyal and friendly'?" Draco asked, putting emphasis on the 'friendly' part.  
  
_ It seemed as though Harry was having an out of body experience, looking down at their extremely odd situation, staring at the laughing bunch of seventh year students: Slytherins mixed with Gryffindors. He was actually having fun, talking about girls....with his nemesis. The person that he detested MOST above all the rest, ok so maybe Voldemort, Snape, Lucius, Bellatrix Lestrange. Peter Pettigrew and the rest of the Death Eaters were fit in there somewhere, but nevertheless...  
_  
"What is it, Neville? I thought you and Susan were having a great time?" Ron added to the conversation.  
  
"I, umm, I'm umm, I, I can't", Neville's face flushed, "I can't do it!" He blurted out. The whole table shook with laughter.  
  
"Well, umm, you don't have to do it on your first couple of dates, mate!" Seamus said.  
  
"O, poor Finnigan here must not understand the meaning of...ahem... 'love's final aim'!" Malfoy teased.  
  
"Maybe that's because he's never gotten there!" Ron said, fighting off the laughter.  
  
"Ron! You promised!" Seamus said as his cheeks flushed a bright red.  
  
"Really?" Harry asked, stunned by this wave of new information.  
  
"Wait, what do you think I'm talking about?" Neville asked innocently.  
  
"Well, er— " they all responded.  
  
"I can't, I can't, I can't"  
  
"Spit it out, Neville!" Harry prompted.  
  
Neville took a deep breath, "I can't commit! Alright? I have a fear of commitment! I don't know... it was like," Neville got a wistful look in his eyes, "as soon as Susan and I became a couple, all of these opportunities have made themselves available to me. It's like girls think I'm cute now that I'm off the market. I get these looks from these girls, but then there's Susan and...." By this time Ron, Seamus, Draco, and Harry were stifling their laughter ineffectively by coughing incessantly.  
  
Draco sighed, taking in a deep breath and exhaling with a comment about Eden Ebony. Harry's ears perked and his electric blue eyes turned to ice. He suddenly realized that he could see his breath as he exhaled warm air into the frozen air around him. Conversation came to a screeching halt and all eyes were on Harry and Draco. Perhaps, the only thing that could ever come out of this friendship was **chaos**.


	8. The Love Bug

**A/N: This is my favorite chapter. I feel like this one part might be a bit unclear, I tried though I did. So if you don't get it, than review it, and I'll clarify! R&R! Reviews make my heart smile :)**

**Disclaimer: **I was so creative with my last disclaimer, but I don't have the energy so... I'm not JKR, big surprise!

_Chapter 8 The Love Bug_

The cold of the night enveloped them with its fragile whispers and ice drops....  
  
It was February the 14th to be precise. The castle was appropriately decorated. Red, white, and pink scarves were strewn over the handrails of the moving staircases. Enchanted Cupids flew about the castle, who conveniently interrupted class throughout the day by sending arrows flying across the rooms from one lover to another. Some of the end results were quite entertaining and rather amusing. It certainly provided a topic of discussion for dinner that evening.  
  
Ron, Harry, and Liz stepped through the entrance to the Great Hall. Their eyes brightened and their jaws dropped. Sure, they had been at Hogwarts on Valentines Day before, but this year was far different. Valentines lay at every place setting on each of the house tables. Each one hand made, some thrown together at the last minute, others elaborate however both sending a heartfelt message to its receiver. Gold candlesticks hovered about the tables, illuminating the faces of the students and teachers. Each candlestick held four candles and on each arm a snake, lion, badger, or raven crawled up the sides reaching towards the flickering light. The ceiling was a swirling mass of red and pink that dissolved, reappeared, and changed its hue by the second.  
  
Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore were seated at the front of the room. Their old and wise hands intertwined, and their eyes fixated on one another as they spoke. Liz and Ron were flirting so much it was, well, disgusting, and Neville's face blushed as a sweet looking Hufflepuff looked up from a Valentine and smiled at him. There was a soft romantic feel to the evening, which goes without saying, but for some reason it hung heavy in the air like an extremely fragrant perfume. Everyone seemed to be talking in hushed lullaby like voices, as if afraid that some other tone of voice would dissolve the magic of the night.  
  
Sooner than later, the hall had emptied and Harry was left alone sitting at a table with leftover food, and scraps of paper sprinkled over it like confetti. What a romantic way to spend Valentines Day, n'est pas?  
  
Eden had been whisked to London earlier in the day. Evidently, there was a "family emergency" as they had so kindly informed them during Charms Class. Harry had no one. He was a seventh year student, that started out the year with a girlfriend, now has two girlfriends, and yet he is still alone. That didn't make sense; how he managed that one he would never know.  
  
He heard a sharp voice trail off into the distance, "Pathetic Potter!" A hint of dark green disappeared through the door out of the Great Hall. _Malfoy_, Harry thought to himself. He could see it now: the portrait to the Slytherin Commons Room staring at line of fifty girls or more all waiting in line to be with Draco on Valentines Day. He had probably made loads of promises to loads of different girls, or no, perhaps he had instructed the portrait to make the girls take a number from one of those red dispensers they have at the grocery store that the Dursley's go to. It made Harry sick to his stomach just thinking about it, however this feeling was soon swept away by the echo of familiar words, "Now I must admit if thousands of girls, mostly very attractive girls, were attacking me with love letters and such, just because of a SCAR on my forehead"....  
  
_Excellent point_, Harry thought to himself as he jumped to his feet racing to the Gryffindor Commons Room to see if Ron was in fact right... for once.  
  
............................................................................................................  
  
Scattered about the grounds couples grew closer...  
  
Their lips touched, a spark of light shot through the cold, dark night. Their bodies inches a part leaning into one another. Their hands clasped, their fingers reaching for the others. They pulled apart from one another the chill of the night balancing the heat between them. Their faces pink from the icy air around them. Their hair perfectly jumbled by the wind, which seemed to sing a love song to the couples nestled between the bushes in the winter garden. It tapped on the windows of the common rooms and comforted the bare branches of the trees. Their heads rested on each other's shoulders, their breathing equal, emotions flowing back and forth between them. They stood their, motionless in time, the darkness feeding off their love, a city of lights staring at them from above, the vast world spread out between them, and the magic of the moment covering them like a blanket...  
  
She giggled her contagious giggle and whispered, "I love you" into the silence as she nuzzled her nose against his shaggy red hair.

A few feet away another couple sat on a bench, "How could this be so right, and yet so wrong?" she asked as he took off his dark green leather jacket, shivered in the moonlight, and wrapped it around her, pulling her freckled nose close to his and kissing it lightly. Across the grounds near the shore of the lake another couple sat on a cozy blanket. A "ribbit" broke the silence as a frog jumped from a pocket, skidded on the frozen lake and then leaped through the snow. "Trevor!" it's owner called after it getting up and slipping on the icy ground only to find himself flat on his back, but the long, slender finger of a yellow glove quickly hushed him. 

The Quidditch stands swayed with the movement of one lonely couple. In an ancient whisper she said to her old companion, "Perhaps we should go inside, Albus?"  
  
Clearly EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE was having a good time on St. Valentines Day, except for the Boy-who-lived and the Bightest Witch of the Age.   
  
Back in the Gryffindor Commons Room....   
  
Tears streamed down her face and glistened in the light of the fire. She gulped and her face shone bright in the moonlight. They were sitting in the Commons Room by themselves, darkness blinding their eyes, the fire illuminating their figures occasionally as it danced casting a red and pink glow on the hearth. "I just, Avery and I, we had something special. Clearly, my love life doesn't treat me well, but why am I boring you with all of this? I'm sure you have much better things to do tonight..."  
  
"Actually, I don't."  
  
"But, but Ginny?"  
  
"Err—that doesn't seem to be working, I mean, err... I couldn't, I couldn't find her, that's it!" Harry said quickly, realizing his mistake.  
  
"Oh, well then I suppose I— ", Hermione stopped mid-sentence. Piercing blue eyes electrified her body and sent tingles down her spine. Her skin tickled with fervor and her mind raced with magic. Was she really so desperate, to be falling for Harry? She thought to herself. Harry put his hand through his jet-black hair and turned to face Hermione. Harry had never realized how beautiful Hermione was in all of their years of friendship, with the exception of the Yule Ball in fourth year. But even then, he hadn't recognized her overwhelming beauty, maybe it was because he was obsessed with Cho, or maybe it had been because he knew she'd used quite a lot of cosmetics to look the way she did, but even so...she was gorgeous. His blood traveled through each vein leaving a tingling sensation pulsing through him. They stared at each other's eyes the black pupils sucking them into a trance like a black hole. Their lips touched glossed with the taste of the butterbeer they had just been drinking. Their bodies glowed with warmth and passions, their hands clutching one another's.  
  
And sure enough, stretched between Harry and Hermione's thumbs was a small, delicate creature much like a ladybug except with pinchers. It sat there quietly and seemingly harmless. But that, my friend, is where you are wrong. Things are often not what they seem, and this seemingly harmless creature is a perfect example. This creature, was in fact, a love bug, that after biting (more commonly known in the muggle world as "the love bite") causes two people to fall madly in love, for precisely 14 days. Yes, indeed, they had been bitten by...the love bug.  
  
"Happy Valentine's Day, Harry", she said as she broke off their kiss and leaned in for just one more...

.....................................................................................................................................  
  
May I dare ask what you thought of it? It's one of my personal favorites. On that note, sorry for the last two chapters they haven't been my best. But here's to those who thought they were: Luthein, beauty-of- asriel, Leah, The Enthusiast,joey, Ollie Triv O'Connor! Thanks soooooooo much for reviewing! I truly appreciate it!


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